Strike in the head

What are the causes when the vascular system flies upside down, why do strokes strike even little people and how to prevent the cerebral catastrophe?

Literally yesterday, on October, 29, the world widely discussed the theme of stroke. The world day of fight against this illness annually comes into the notice of humanity to the catastrophic scales of the problem, reminds about the consequences of careless attitude toward an own health and importance of prophylaxis of vascular diseases. According to data of experts, every 2nd second in the world one person has a stroke, and every sixth second someone perishes from it. In Ukraine annually over 100 thousands of new cases of the illness are registered. The third of patients are people of capable working age. What results in such sad consequences and how to prevent them, we asked a specialist on vascular problems, doctor and research worker, doctor of medical sciences Ulyana Lushchyk.

Stroke is reckoning for negligence to the health

— Mrs. Ulyana, annually in the world about 6 million strokes is register, in the countries of Western Europe is 1 million. Death rate from strokes is on the second place after malignant new growth. At the same time Ukrainian society know less about risk factors from the diseases of the vascular system. What do you as a specialist think on this occasion?

- Here we should consider one, possibly, unpopular thing. Mostly a stroke is a reckoning for careless attitude of man toward own health. My experience certifies that even among our acquaintances - research workers, physicians - many those, who underestimates problems of the organism. Even when a man already have certain symptoms and tell him - go, check up the organism, do diagnostics, the man will find 125 reasons, that to justify the unwillingness to help himself. There is not time, business, work, family, and then stroke and all is farewell on a grave. And such moments the more annoying, when we know that catastrophes can be avoided, but it seems that man really wanted it. I am certain that stroke takes place in those, whoever does not love and care the organism.

- What dangerous is this illness? A stroke can be compared with such phenomenon, as the disbalance unconcerted orchestra. When every organ and systems of organism "plays" as it wants. And this disbalance does not allow the vascular system to work in unison. Let’s imagine - 50 trips from one airport simultaneously and controllers did not co-ordinate the plan of flights and corridors for liners. As a result - crashes on different links. Similarly during stroke - at least 8-10 links of organism "fall" down. For the living system it is a catastrophe. By the way, stroke means is a cerebral catastrophe. A brain cannot react differently on this situation and simply becomes disconnected, a man falls in coma. Thus, a body is not able to control itself. And to recovery the organism out of the state of extreme chaos is the question of competence, even the arts of a doctor. But only 2-3 links can be recommenced from those damaged eight. Other mostly unreal to return to life, because there are not those "tunnels" where blood can move. Operative intervention sometimes helps to restore only some one area.

- Stroke is among the most widespread causes of disability. According to statistics, 60% of patients which outlived a cerebral catastrophe, become acute invalids, 30% have steady disorders and only 10 % go back to valuable life. What factors play the major role: professional doctor, or the patient’s will to live or something other?

- First of all the possibility of the vascular system to restore. And this system is multivectorial. It is necessary to take into account and blood pressure, and circulation rate of vessels, and elasticity of vessel, permeability, caliber. Vividly speaking, it is possible to ride a rural road, and it is possible to fly an autobahn. Similarly the vascular system has the "autobahnen" and "rural roads". And if a man with a stroke has broken "rural roads", then how to restore the state of brain, which lives in "autobahn"? Unreal.. Possibly, my analogies will surprise somebody, but the vascular system is the same water duct. And you cannot wash tableware with drop of water. The more so, "unlaunchable" brain.

- Today conversations are popular about atherosclerotic plaques in vessels. Yes, they were and will be. But we must not be obsessed with them, as there is another system - venous which is not well-known. And it is the sewage "system" of the organism. And if there is not regular blood circulation in veins, there are both thromboses, and embolisms. Therefore treating a problem is necessary in a complex, and but better - to prevent it.

The vascular system of a child is distorted already in a maternal bosom.

- What anxious "campanellis" must worn a human? What are the signals about approaching of stroke?

- First-ever symptoms are weakness, speech and sleep disorders, indisposition, non-standard feeling, inadequate capacity, when you plan usual businesses, but bring to nothing conclusion. Having any of these symptoms you must beat at an alarm. Approaching of stroke reports about itself periodic disorders of cerebral circulation of blood. Even banal hypertension crisis, if it displays not only with considerable increase of pressure but also nausea, brief disconnecting of consciousness, numbing of extremities, speech disorder, are the eloquent signs that the brain is badly. Neuro-surgeons name such symptoms the "first swallow". If in time to react on them, conduct corresponding treatment, organism will thank you. And if the "owner" of body ignored these signals, then instead of "swallow" gets hospitalization, reanimation.. That is why once again will mark: disrespect to the organism turns around for a man by heavy disorders of health.

- Your colleagues and you personally repeatedly noticed about strokes among young. As far as urgent is this problem?

- When I was a student a stroke in 50-years-old was considered as an extraordinary event. When I worked as a young doctor and wrote candidate's dissertation, a stroke in 40 years was considered a catastrophe. And when I worked under doctoral, a stroke for children was perceived as an almost unreal fact. To the greatest regret, currently sharp disorders of cerebral blood circulation among babies become more frequent and very difficult for them. During twenty-four hours a child can fall down in coma..

- The stunning thing a stroke in a child.. Why does it happen?

- Contamination of environment, stress when woman matures pregnancy, does not allow the vascular system to be formed correctly. Therefore already in a maternal bosom it is distorted. How exactly? A vascular wall has three layers. And one of those layers can be underdeveloped, may have a slit, a mucous membrane falls out in which. Thus aneurysm is formed. Babies now often have aneurysm of vessels of cerebrum, which provoke a stroke even in three, - five - seven years. Among complete, it would seem, prosperity.. And these cases are so cruel, that it is really difficult to talk about them. Therefore I always insisted on the "passport system for new-born". A kid was born - it is necessary carefully to inspect his vascular system, in fact many moments can be foreseen and preveted. And thus to save a health and life. The more so that a modern medical technique allows to do these things at high level.

- Overload and stresses can also be considered as provoking factors for strokes among youths?

- Surely. We all went out from agrarians. A shepherd on a pasture is one model of functioning of organism, and intensive mental work is in megapolis, permanent fuss of fusses and specific modern life require other rhythms absolutely. We live in the mode of internet-technologies, daily interchange ten-hundreds of electronic folias, mobile reports, therefore clearly, that and a brain is forced to work in ten times more powerful. And intensification of mental processes, the necessity of rapid decision and instantaneous answer on hundred questions requires a far greater capacity and loading on a brain and vascular system.

An organism yells about help, and we farther "press on gas".

- What must a man know to prevent the diseases of vessels? What prophylactic measures will you advise?

- Today extremely actual theme of mobility. When we sit before computers for hours, communicate in the on-line mode - emotions are, and motion is not. When we sit down in a car, because we need quickly to move, but the body is similarly almost immobile. As there are not adequate irritants, there are stagnations in the vascular system. Make time for a morning run, exercises, swimming, if shortly - "fall in love yourself". Help the organism to feel comfortably.

I understand: we were never trained to the culture of health, that on the whole is characteristically for the Slavic world. But life is presently such intensive, and survives whose, who pay enough attention to the health. An organism works independently when is in norm. When "campanellis" act from these are signals about trouble. And it is necessary at once to react on them.

- And in time to make prophylactic medical examinations?

- I will say, possibly, a bit dissonantly, but well-aimed. Functioning of car and human organism has much similar. There are two types of drivers: careful and careless. A careful driver cares the auto, feels it, it is his "partner". Careless only uses the auto – don’t care of anything, just ride forward. Clearly, that the auto may be damaged of such proprietor, beaten, not work from the first turn. And "somehow it will be" in attitude toward an organism it may be the same. An organism needs periodic check similarly. Body very often and patiently goes to the profit yield of the owner. Some stresses an organism silently experiences together with us. But when excessive tension behind, an organism yells - restore me! And if you ignored a request, for a few months can have large problems.

Experience shows: after 40 years each half a year the human must diagnose the state of the vascular system and in the case of necessity to get adequate treatment. It follows to find time for this purpose - even at strong employment. Problems accumulate otherwise, and then the least stress, overload, sleepless night, even dramatic change of weather - and vascular system damages, because can not fully function.